Threat Matrix is a “biography” of the FBI’s development of counter terrorism capabilities from the days of state sponsored terrorism through the rise of domestic terrorism and to the new world of NGO
(non-governmental organizations) terrorism.

National Counterterrorism Center head Michael Leiter resigned yesterday. After all, we spent most of Wednesday morning, during Robert Mueller’s confirmation hearing for an unusual two-year extension, talking about the importance of continuity

The whole case depends on the FBI’s contention that a flask Ivins had–RMR-1029–was “the murder weapon.” But in fact, the FBI only has proof that Ivins had what might be one of eight or more potential precursors to the murder weapon. Their efforts to equate the two ignore some interim steps about which they seem to have little evidence (and what they have they’re not examining very closely).

President Obama announced that he would prefer FBI Director Robert Mueller to stay on for an additional two years beyond the 10-year term he has already served. Mueller, who became director of the FBI one week before 9-11, would see his term otherwise expire September 4.

By showing the parallel pursuit of two suspects, Time reveals something disturbing about our country’s pursuit of terrorists. While the President gets briefed on suspected Islamic terrorists, he doesn’t get briefed on suspected right wing terrorists.

If so, and Kelly is indeed nominated, this is a contemptible plan.

A year and a half ago, I warned that if you bought certain beauty supplies — hydrogen peroxide and acetone — you might be a terrorism suspect. Shortly thereafter, John Kyl basically confirmed that the government had been tracking certain people buying hydrogen peroxide. Yesterday, FBI Director Robert Mueller did so in even more explicit terms.

COMPLAINT United States District Court DISTRICT OF ARIZONA United States of America v JARED LEE LOUGHNER DOB: xx/xx/1988; United States Citizen DOCKET NO. MAGISTRATE’S CASE NO. 11-0035M Complaint for violation of Title 18 United States Code 351(c); Title 18 United States Code 1114 and 1111; and Title 18 United States Code 1114 and 1113 COMPLAINTANT’S [...]

Dupnik: “I think that when the rhetoric about hatred, about mistrust of government, about paranoia of how government operates, and to try to inflame the public on a daily basis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week has an impact especially on people who are unbalanced personalities to begin with.”

The Treasury Department has released its latest set of HAMP data for August, and the program is winding down with very few new trial modifications, and less in the system.